, . . . , , , As opposed to a perfor- mance car that perfonns. Or a responsible car that's responsible. For Saab, single-minded- ness is no virtue On the other hand, con- sider the value of double- mindedness: When you expenence the goose bump-inducing acceler- ation of a Saab, you have room to share it with a wife and two kIds and a year's supply of groceries. When you fill up the tank, you can look forward to great gas mileage. (The most powerful Saab gets better fuel economy than that old mileage champ, the Volks- wagen Super Beetle ) You can look forward to it because the car you're driv- ing isn't bonng. It isn't a mollycoddling compromise put together for a presenta- tion to the Environmental Protection Agency. Havmg thrown out those boasts, Saab would like to back off a little and admit the world hasn't greeted it with unanimous accolades Either-Or: Either you find the perfor- mance of a Saab exhilarating. Or the sociologist in you comes out and pronounces it . exceSSIve. Either you detennine Saab's steering to be a tight, responsive, unifying element · E- -E . . , E :LE. , . between your hands and the wheels. Or you yearn for sqUIshy power steering that tacitly says you're not really driving the car; you're merely point- ing it. Either you look at this chart and say, "Pretty good numbers:' Or you look the other way and declare yourself, "Not a numbers man:' SAAB 900 5-SPEED APC TURBO 0-60 MPH Acceleration * . . . . . . . . .10.0 seconds Stopping Distance from 6OMPH*.. ............... ......160feet Trunk Space * .......... ..... . 25. 7cu.jeet Fuel-tank Capacity. . . . . . . . . . . . 16.6 gallons EPA Estimate . . . . . . . . .. ....... @mpg** EPA Htghway Esttmate. . . . . . . . . . . .34 mpg** Either you assess the Saab Turbo's AutomatIc Perfonnance Control as an improvement on all other turbos, a true breakthrough that lets you go faster on less fuel. Or you look at it as just another piece of engineering esoterica. Either you consider Road & Track's designation of Saab ("Sports Sedan for the Eighties") as a carefully weighed judgment by a group of editors who have seen them all come and go over the years. Or you dismiss it as hype by a cult of car nuts. Either you apply every- thIng you know about eco- nomics to the sticker and realIze the perfect balance between price and value. Or you conclude it's out- rageously expensive. Or too cheap to bear repeating at the country club. 1983 SAAB PRICEtt LIST 9003-Door...................... .$10,750 9004-Door . . . . . . $11,050 900S 3-Door . . . . . . . . . . $13,550 900S 4-Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,950 900 Turb03-Door . . . . . $16,510 900Turb04-Door................. .$16,910 A utomattC transmission $370 additional The car you need vs. the car you want. For every other car we can think of those two con- cepts are also either-or. Either you opt for utility and practicality and economy and durability and have your needs satisfied. Or you go for perfonnance and comfort and styling and have your wants satiated. Of course, it is our biased contention that the 1983 Saab is both the car you need and the car you want If you test drive a Saab and love it, our guess is that it will be a love fully reqUIted in the years ahead. If you test drive a Saab and you're not enthralled, all you'll be out is the time it takes to feel the acceleratIon, to luxuriate in the seats, and to learn what a real driving . . expenence IS. The guarantee is that you won't be indifferent , , - - The most intelligent car ever buzlt tSee box above for fuellXonomy speqficatwns. *From] uly 1982 Road & Track Magazme Road Test ** Remember, use these figures for companson only Mtleage vanes wtth speed weather and trip length Actual highway mileage will probably be less tt M anufaclurer's suggested retail prices Not includmg taxes, Itcense, freight charges or oþtwns